Deep within the lands of Zaron, the people of Kupa Preserve wrestle to remain alive as they’re attacked by the depraved Drow Elves of Larnion. Darkness falls because the people beg their King to save lots of them. A noble King, identified solely because the Grand Wizard. For a thousand years, the battle has been waged, with solely the bravery of the Grand Wizard to guard his human followers. However regardless that the Wizard King is undeniably cool, the Drow Elf armies proceed their assaults. They search the people’ most treasured relic — the Stick of Fact.
Welcome again to a different month of TA Playlist. To be able to have a superb dialogue concerning the video games we play, Playlist winners are usually video games with heavy themes, deep tales, and sophisticated narratives. However not at all times. Typically, a sport simply must be humorous.
September’s Playlist theme was “Again to College,” with 4 nominees that featured motion in and round colleges or universities. There have been two Japanese magical highschool video games (the superb RPG Persona 3 Reload and the unusual visible novel Doki Doki Literature Membership Plus!), however they shortly fell behind within the polls in comparison with two diversifications of well-known franchises from different media. It was a little bit of a back-and-forth battle, however in the long run, the witches and wizards of Hogwarts Legacy weren’t capable of overcome 4 elementary college college students from Colorado, with
South Park: The Stick of Fact rising victorious.
The idea for what would ultimately develop into South Park grew out of a pupil animation challenge by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who met on the College of Colorado in 1992. Utilizing crude construction-paper cutouts and stop-motion animation, they created their first brief movie that includes characters that vaguely resemble Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny as they create to life a murderous Frosty the Snowman.
On the request of a TV government, Parker and Stone re-made their brief in 1995 as a video Christmas card (this time with Jesus combating Santa Claus as a substitute of Frosty), and bootlegged copies of this second Spirit of Christmas brief shortly grew to become one of many web’s first viral movies, even resulting in a recall of 100,000 discs of the PlayStation model of Tiger Woods 99, when an worker at Digital Arts included a duplicate of the brief as an Easter egg on the disc. The viral recognition of the brief led to the event of the idea right into a TV present which was ultimately picked up by Comedy Central, and in the summertime of 1997, South Park was born.
TymanTheLong stated:
I’ve sturdy emotions about South Park, it confirmed up throughout my faculty years after I was very near an precise ravenous faculty pupil (there have been weeks when a jar of peanut butter and a 49 cent loaf of white bread had been all I needed to eat, even 50 cent Rice o Roni price an excessive amount of) going to a really wealthy child faculty. However South Park was one thing all of us sat on a ground and watched on a tiny TV, 20 of us piled into the identical dorm room. Everybody who might agree on nothing agreed that Cartman was an asshole, a humorous asshole, however an asshole and all of us had been like, “WTF?!” when Kenny was simply again with no rationalization in episode 2, after which realized he’d be dying each week and regarded ahead to no matter means which may occur (after which the “wait one thing’s improper and Kenny yells “Woohoo!’” episode ending). I even bear in mind discovering my first field of Tacky Poofs in Fallout and being actually excited.
The Stick of Fact isn’t the primary online game primarily based on the South Park TV present. The primary South Park sport was launched in 1998, only a 12 months after the present first aired. It was a first-person shooter that includes Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny, taking pictures aliens, throwing snowballs at turkeys, and so forth. This was adopted up a 12 months later with South Park: Chev’s Luv Shack, a sport show-style occasion sport that includes trivia and mini-games, after which a kart-style racer, South Park Rally a 12 months after that.
All three video games, revealed by Acclaim Leisure, had been met with middling opinions, with the overall consensus being that these video games had been mildly gratifying for South Park followers, however had been principally simply South Park skins on prime of pretty mediocre video games. South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone weren’t concerned of their growth, however they later got here out and criticized Acclaim’s dealing with of the IP.
Discussion board query answered by Matt Stone, October 1, 2001
To that finish, South Park Digital Studios was created to supervise initiatives associated to South Park outdoors of the TV present itself. In 2009, Parker and Stone approached Obsidian Leisure about making a Skyrim-style RPG however conserving with the present’s creative model and themes. Parker and Stone labored intently with Obsidian to maintain artistic management over the product, together with writing the script and voicing lots of the characters. After a considerably troubled growth, throughout which the unique writer, THQ, filed for chapter and offered the asset to Ubisoft, South Park: The Stick of Fact lastly launched for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in March 2014.
JohnnyInterfnk stated:
I can not consider it has been 10+ years since this sport got here out. Time actually flies.
This sport actually wanted to do one factor, which was to really feel such as you had been in a South Park episode. In that, it WILDLY succeeded. Most likely why I prefer it a lot. Shares so much with Hogwarts Legacy (the second-place sport for this month for TA Playlist) on this respect,
Its sequel, Fractured However Entire, was additionally actually enjoyable.
It is a disgrace they stopped making this collection of video games. South Park video games had been rubbish earlier than these two, and they’re rubbish after. Want they’d return to the method that labored.
A lot of the commenters who loved this sport stated one thing alongside the traces of what JohnnyInterfnk identified – that the primary factor that elevated Stick of Fact above earlier South Park video games was that it actually does really feel such as you’re taking part in an episode of the present, with all of the madness that entails.
Kariyanine stated:
Like lots of people, I received into South Park when it first got here out, and it kinda grew to become my one fixed present for a bit. And like a variety of that group of individuals, I fell off of it in some unspecified time in the future. I do nonetheless have a smooth spot for it, however it’s not must-watch tv anymore. Obsidian and Matt & Trey did an awesome job making Stick of Fact an interactive showcase of what the present was after I watched it recurrently.
Flumptigan stated:
That rarest of issues, a sport that’s genuinely humorous. First rate sufficient to play, however the comedy is the primary factor for me
In fact, comedy is subjective, as we noticed with the July 2023 TA Playlist sport, Excessive On Life, and whereas a lot of the optimistic commenters stated they cherished the sport as a result of it felt like an episode of the collection, there have been additionally some players who didn’t prefer it for exactly the identical motive.
THE DEADLY DOG stated:
South Park humor was by no means my stick. Tried through the years to get into it however might by no means get pleasure from it sufficient.
Allgorhythm stated:
Identical right here. The sophomoric humor would not enchantment to me.
It’s not for everybody, actually, they usually do tend to cross the road twice in relation to offensive comedy and delicate matters, however for a present that’s been round for 26 seasons, it have to be doing one thing proper.
RamonGamer01 stated:
Um sport incrivel, que apesar de ser RPG que pode afastar muitas pessoas se voce gosta dos desenhos brand brand voce esquece que esta jogando um RPG e passa a achar que esta vendo um episodio, a trama é engraçada e as piadas pra quem gosta desse tipo de humor sao otimas, esse foi um dos primeiros video games que eu fiz o 1000g.
by way of Google Translate: An unbelievable sport, that regardless of being an RPG that may drive away many individuals, for those who just like the cartoons quickly you overlook that you’re taking part in an RPG and begin to suppose that you’re watching an episode. The plot is humorous and the jokes for individuals who like such a humor are nice, this was one of many first video games that I made the 1000g.
Your character is a New Child within the city of South Park, Colorado, shortly caught with the nickname “Douchebag” (given to you by Cartman, in fact). Often, in these wrap-up articles, I attempt to embody a quick define of the sport’s story, however as anybody who’s skilled an episode of South Park would possibly suspect, the plot abstract for this sport sounds just like the ravings of an insane particular person. On the one hand, you’ve received a bunch of youngsters operating round city taking part in a live-action RPG as people versus elves on a quest to regulate the Stick of Fact, and then again, you’ve received alien abductions, anal probes, authorities conspiracies, Taco Bell, and inexperienced goo that turns individuals and animals into Nazi zombies.
Wicelow stated:
Performed each this and the sequel. LOTS of enjoyable and references for those who’re a fan of the present, truthfully for those who’re not, I do not perceive why you are taking part in it.
Here is an precise paragraph from the plot synopsis on Wikipedia: “Out of desperation, Douchebag is instructed to ask the ladies to play. They comply with be part of after Douchebag infiltrates an abortion clinic and travels throughout Canada to find which of their mates is spreading gossip. Flanked by the ladies, kindergarten pirates, and Star Trek role-players, the people and elves assault Clyde’s darkish tower. Randy arrives and divulges that the federal government brokers have planted a nuclear system in Mr. Slave’s anus to explode South Park, forcing Douchebag to shrink and enter Mr. Slave to disarm the bomb.” It’s sheer insanity, however someway all of it comes collectively in a means that feels very authentically South Park.
ShinUkyo stated:
I cherished this sport after I performed it ages in the past, and it nonetheless stands out in my favourite gaming recollections. As of us have stated right here, it legitimately feels just like the TV present in playable type. To not point out all of the bizarre/shock modifications in gameplay model as you undergo it. It is uncommon {that a} licensed property will get this type of love and high quality put into it.
Along with the spot-on South Park vibes, a lot of the commenters in our boards additionally had good issues to say concerning the gameplay design and fight techniques as nicely. Fight takes place in a turn-based RPG format, the place your character and his companion (Butters, Princess Kenny, Jimmy, Stan, Cartman, or Kyle at numerous factors of the sport) select from a wide range of normal assaults or particular skills in every spherical. You’ll be able to acquire new weapons, armor, and equipment all through the sport, a few of which have an effect on your stats in fight, whereas others are purely aesthetic. Exterior of fight, you’re free to roam across the city searching for collectibles and aspect quests, though some areas aren’t accessible till later within the sport while you’ve unlocked sure particular skills.
HawkeyeBarry20 stated:
It has been a very long time, however I actually loved taking part in this sport. And I might inform it was completely different immediately. I am strolling round that opening camp and Cartman is making enjoyable of me taking so lengthy and checking every part out.
The comedy is the promoting level of this sport so long as that is your factor. The dialog, weapons and settings are all hilarious. The fight is straightforward and stable. They did not attempt to do an excessive amount of which made it gratifying. There have been just a few missables however I did not suppose they had been that unhealthy so long as you knew what the following missable occasion/collectible was. I actually loved operating by the city to seek out new individuals and legitimately wish to assist them to listen to what the following wacky factor was going to be. This sport is the top of what tie in video games needs to be.
The collectibles appear to be the one sore level from our commenters who in any other case preferred the sport. There are achievements for accumulating all of the weapons and outfits, changing into mates with everybody on the town, accumulating all of the Chinpokomon, farting on individuals, and extra. In complete, 25 achievements are missable, together with lots of the collectibles, resulting from actions that should be taken earlier than sure areas of the sport are accomplished and locked off. This, in fact, isn’t a superb factor for achievement hunters.
jimbobvaquero stated:
Man, I received caught with the the missable achievements left on this sport. It was solely a few costumes that I did not get. I believe I began a brand new playthrough, however I do not know how far I received into it simply to trace down a few objects. Perhaps I am going to go begin the X1 model only for funsies.
SiegfriedX stated:
Improbable sport, cherished each second of it each instances I performed. Achievements aren’t the most effective with tons of missable stuff so it begs so that you can play with a information by your aspect.
Osmo76 stated:
I benefit from the present (though I have not seen any new episodes in like 10 years), however this sport did not captivate me. It was in all probability one of many first video games I accomplished whereas meticulously following a information in order that could be the rationale for my detrimental reminiscence of it.
TymanTheLong stated:
I discover that following guides can actually kill the enjoyable for me as nicely. It’s primarily why I don’t play Journey video games a lot anymore (plus these guides usually commit the extra sin of getting you skip a lot of the story). There’s one thing about observing a information each few seconds to try to match what it’s saying to what you’re seeing that simply sucks the enjoyable proper out. It’s nerve-racking and tedious.
The achievement listing for this sport is so chock-full of missables; Stick of Fact even earned an honorable point out within the Prime 5 Dangerous Achievement Lists article (written by TA Playlist’s personal ChewieOnIce) again in 2015. Apart from the missables, although, the achievement listing is kind of attention-grabbing and humorous, with a number of notable achievements incomes call-outs from our commenters.
ManicMetalhead stated:
Who else aside from South Park might get away with these achievements additionally;
Talking of achievements, how about some stats?
A complete of 1,147 tracked players unlocked a minimum of one achievement in both model of South Park: The Stick of Fact throughout the month of September, with 585 beginning the sport for the primary time, and 103 tracked players incomes a full completion. That provides as much as 13,080 achievements unlocked throughout the month for 247,850 complete Gamerscore and 396,337 TrueAchievement rating – an general ratio of 1.599 for the month.
Most people becoming a member of us this month had been taking part in the Xbox One model of the sport, with “Poco Chinpoko”, for accumulating 5 Chinpokomon, because the most-earned achievement, at 411 unlocks throughout the month. It was additionally the most-unlocked achievement for each variations mixed, with 448 achievements throughout each variations. On the different finish of the spectrum, one other collectible achievement, “Parkeologist” required opening all of the garages in South Park, and due to some difficult and/or missable ones, solely 23 individuals unlocked that achievement within the Xbox 360 model.
Nonetheless, even the least-earned achievement from the Xbox One model (“Full Arsenal”, for accumulating all weapons and outfits, unlocked 67 instances within the Xbox One model, and simply 96 instances general) was popped greater than the most-earned achievement from the Xbox 360 model, “Acceptance”, which noticed 45 individuals throughout the month select to name themselves “Douchebag” earlier than Cartman might do it. The issues we do for achievements!
Though that is an older sport, we nonetheless had a complete of 37 Avid gamers earn their technique to the September 2024 Shout-Out Listing, led by GamerMD1995, who unlocked all 50 of the sport’s achievements in simply 15 hours between September 14 and September 15. Spectacular!
That may wrap it up for this wrap-up of the September 2024 Playlist sport, South Park: The Stick of Fact. We’ll be again quickly with our wrap-up for the October 2024 Sport of the Month, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and within the meantime, head on over to the Spoiler-Free and Spoiler Dialogue Threads for the November 2024 featured sport, Spec Ops: The Line. See you subsequent month!